At Least 3 Gov’t Firearms Recovered By Daring Members Of Public In Separate Botched Robberies

NAIROBI Kenya July 16 -Three daring members of the public have wrestled gunmen and recovered three firearms which had earlier been stolen from security officers in separate incidents in the last one and a half months

Two of the firearms were recovered by women while the other was by a male shopkeeper, all during botched robberies.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), two of the firearms -both AK47 rifles -were recovered in Ndhiwa on July 13 and in Korogocho Nairobi on July 9, respectively.

The other G3 rifle was recovered in Transzoia on May 27.

On Thursday at around 11.30pm, a man armed with an AK47 rifle raided a home in Nyawiso village, Ndhiwa in Homabay county.

A businesswoman had just arrived home after closing her shop within Ndhiwa town when the lone gunman, also armed with a knife, struck.

The woman got hold of the gun while screaming and managed to overpower the robber who then escaped, leaving the firearm behind.

Members of the public and police officers responded and it was established that the firearm, an AK47 rifle serial number 4852172 and loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition had been stolen from Administration Police Constable Philemon Kipkemoi Kimwole.

Constable Kimwole is attached to Ndhiwa Critical Infrastructure Police Unit (CIPU).

“Investigations conducted so far reveal that the rifle had been stolen from an AP officer deployed to CIPU, Ndhiwa,” the DCI said.

“As a thorough probe into the circumstances under which the firearms ended up in the hands of criminal gangs kick in, the DCI commends the two women for their bravery and for joining in the fight to sanitize the streets of gangsters and illegal arms,” the DCI added.

Police have however cautioned all citizens to ensure their own safety first while caught up in such scenes of armed robberies.

In another case on July 9, a brave shopkeeper fought off three AK47 rifle-wielding robbers and managed to disarm them of the firearm in Korogocho, Nairobi.

The firearm, serial number KP 60034486 loaded with 9 rounds of ammunition was later found to belong to the Kenya Police Service.

According to the police, the gang of three men, one armed with an AK47 rifle and others with crude weapons, raided Highridge area of Korogocho at around 11pm.

They started robbing shop owners including George Kiragu who was robbed of Sh15,000. Another victim, Mohammed was robbed of Sh28,000, mobile phone and a wrist watch.

The gang then proceeded to the next shop but the shopkeeper resisted, resulting in a fierce fight. He sustained multiple stab wounds but managed to disarm the three of the rifle.

He was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

The other recovery of government firearm was reported in Transzoia West at Lions area on May 27 when a lone robber armed with a loaded G3 rifle accosted a man and his wife as they opened their shop at 6am.

The woman confronted the gunman and dodged four bullets that were aimed at her. She overpowered the robber who also escaped, leaving the rifle loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition behind.

Upon investigations, it was established that the G3 had been robbed from a Kitale Medium Prison officer at the Kitale Referral Hospital on April 19, 2023 while he was guarding a sick prisoner.

Dozens of police firearms have been lost mostly under unclear circumstances.

On July 5, four rifles and a total of 110 rounds of ammunition were reported missing from Griftu police station armoury in Wajir West Sub-County.

Three AK47 rifles, one G3 rifle, 90 rounds of ammunition used in AK47 rifles and another 20 rounds of ammunition for G3 rifles were found missing but the armoury was not broken into.

As a result, the OCS Griftu and the amourer were arrested as investigations continue.

In another case on June 13, four robbery suspects were shot dead at Mkwajuni along Mombasa-Kilifi road and one of the AK47 rifles that was robbed of officers during the July 2021 Equity Matuu Branch raid recovered.

The AK47 rifle, serial number KE KP 5527115 was recovered and loaded with 7 rounds of ammunition.

In November last year 2022, police also arrested the mastermind of a daring attack at a police station in Homabay county where four police firearms and over 100 rounds of ammunition were stolen.

In the attack staged at Kipasi police post in Mbita on the night of November 16, an unknown number of thugs broke into the station’s armoury under unclear circumstances and took off with the firearms including three G-3 riffles, one AK-47 assault rifle and 110 rounds of ammunition.